09/14/2025
On Jan 17, 2007, Deon Griffin, a known drug dealer and FBI informant, was shot dead in Detroit. Rudy Thomas, who was celebrating his daughter’s birthday miles away, would later be convicted for the crime, based solely on the testimony of a single pressured witness. No physical evidence. No motive. Just a suspicious ID made after months of harassment, in a city notorious for a corrupt justice system.
The prosecutor had a history of wrongful convictions. The defense attorney was later disbarred. Key evidence, such as the victim’s role as a federal informant and an alternate suspect named in FBI files, was withheld. 15 years later, the witness recanted.
Rudy is still fighting for justice.
This film was created by Gabby Goss, Isla Patrick, and Matt Irwin from UC Santa Cruz with support from Olivia Murphy from Georgetown Law School.
About the Program:
This documentary was produced by undergraduate students at the University of California, Santa Cruz(UCSC) through Making an Exoneree, a groundbreaking course dedicated to reinvestigating wrongful conviction cases. 2025 marks the third year of Making an Exoneree at UCSC.
Throughout the semester, UCSC students dig into case files, interview key individuals, and create powerful short documentaries, websites, and social media campaigns to advocate for justice. These student-led projects aim to raise awareness and build support for the exoneration of innocent people still behind bars.
Since its founding at Georgetown University, Making an Exoneree has helped bring freedom to 12 wrongfully convicted people, and the program is now expanding to universities across the country.
Learn more: https://makinganexoneree.org
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXpEGnwmtcs
On Jan 17, 2007, Deon Griffin, a known drug dealer and FBI informant, was shot dead in Detroit. Rudy Thomas, who was celebrating his daughter’s birthday mile...
